Amphibian aeroplane



March 3, 1931.

M. WATTER AMPHIBI'AN AEROPLANE Filed March 20. 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR Mzcllael Waiter: BY 52mm ATTORNEYS March 3, 1931. wATTER 1,794,813

AMPHIBIAN AEROPLANE Filed March 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY 53cm r7644 ATTORNEYS March 3, 1931. M. WATTER 1,794,813

AMPHIBIAN AEROPLANE Filed March 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet S ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 3.1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL WATTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CHANGE M. VO'UGHT, OF GREN- WOLDE, GREAT NECK, NEW YORK- AMPHIBIAN AEROPLANE Application filed March 20, 1928. Serial No. 263,068.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and particularly to aeroplanes of the amphibian type.

The object of the invention is an amphibian aeroplane including a floating and hydroplaning body and a landing gear of a novel construction and arrangement and adapting the craft to be readily convertible from a land plane toia water craft and from a water craft to a land craft with marked facility. A further object of the invention is a. retractable landing gear which is so constructed and mounted upon and carried by the floating and hydroplaning body as to be readily retracted and lowered and moreover such a landing gear of such construction that it may be mounted upon the floating and hydroplaning body with a minimum modification of the floating structure from the standard construction. A more particular object of the invention. is an amphibian provided with a retractable landing gear which is directly attached to the underbody structure at a point intermediate the chines of the floating and hydroplaning body, asfor example the keel structure, and also tothe side of the body preferably above the chine, in such manner that the part of the gear which is attached to the underbody structure is movable or adjustable laterally thereof to cause the lifting and lowering of the gear about the side.

A still further object of the invention is a retractable landing gear having novel features of construction and operation thereof adapting it to use with aeroplanes generall For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an amphibian aeroplane embodying the invention,

with structural parts omitted for convenience in illustration,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of attachment of the struts to the axle,

Fig. 3 is aside view of the floating structure, L

Fig. 4 is a detail view partly in section of the floating structure and the landing gear, Fig. 5 is another view similar to Fig. 4, I Fig. 6 is a detail along the line 6-6 of FFig. 7 is a detail along the line 77 of Figs. 8 and 9 are slight modifications of the bottom of the floating structure providingd for the accommodation of a landing gear, an

Fig. 10 shows a modified landing gear structure and floating structure arrangement.

Referring to thedrawings I have indicated my invent-ion as embodied in an aeroplane of the pontoon type including a fuselage or main body 1 and a pontoon or floating structure 2 supported and carried beneath the fuselage by the system of struts and braces indicated generally by the numeral 3. The aeroplane illustrated also includes the wing tip floats 4 for balancing and stability purposes, while on the water, the particular craft illustrated being of the single pontoon or float type. The

floating structure 2 may be of any standard I construction and I have illustrated the float as embodying a hydroplaning step 5 stationed at the proper point longitudinally of the craft. The landing gear includes a pair of struts 6 disposed on opposite sides of and struts 6. The struts of each unit are pivotally connected together at 7 and carry any suitable ground engaging means such .as the wheels shown. The struts 8 diverge upwardly from the downwardly ositioned strut 6 and have their upper en s pivoted to the floating structure above the chines 9 at the points 8'. These points 8 in the particular embodiment illustrated form a substantially fore and aft axis about which the struts 8 pivot, these struts 8 forming substantially a V with the apex of the V located approximately near the point 7 of the strut 6. The struts are, pivoted together at the point 7 so as to permit the pivoting movements of the strut with respect to struts 8. The struts 6,

I ward pivoting of the wheeled axle about the axis 8, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or may be drawn nearer the center line of the float to cause the downward pivoting of the wheels to the operative position. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7, the axle 6 at its inner end is connected with the keel structure through intermediate connecting members 12 and 13, the former being a rotary internally screw-threaded sleeve or barrel 12 and the latter aninner member 13 which is exteriorly screw-threaded at its inner end and is secured to )the end of the wheeled axle 10 by a pivotal connection 10' permitting (for a purpose hereinafter described) the vertical pivoting movement of the axle 6 relatively to the screw-threaded adjusting and connecting member 13. The structure 11 may be any suitable rigid frame support forming either a part of the keel structure of the floating body or rigidly fastened thereto and a trunnion 14 passes transversely through this keel structure 11 and is suitably journaled therein, and the inner end of each of the rotary sleeves or barrels 12 is connected by means of a universal joint 15 with the trunnion 14. The wheeled axle 6, the connecting member 13 and the rotary sleeve 12 form in effect an extensible and distensible rigid axle'carrying' the wheel from the universal joint 15 of the trunnion 14 and from the pivotal points 8. By rotating the trunnion 14 and accordingly the screw-threaded intermediate connecting member or barrel 12, the intermediate adjusting member 13 is moved outwardly or inwardly to extend or distend the length of the composite shaft or to cause the pivot point 10 of the axle to move laterally of the keel structure for the purpose of elevating or lowering the landing gear. For rotating the trunnion 14 any suitable means may be provided but I have shown a sprocket wheel 16 (shown as housed ,within the keel structure 14) which is keyed thereto and a sprocket chain 17 is indicated which passes upwardly to a sprocket drive indicated diagrammatically at 18 in Fig. 2, it being understood that this sprocket drive is either actuated directly by or under the control of the operator for the purpose of lowering or elevating the landing gear.

By breaking the axle or pivotally connecting the end of the axle 6 to the intermediate connecting member 13 at 10, a greater elevation of the wheel is eifected for a given length of axle 6 and struts 8, permitting the sleeve or barrel 12 to pivot about the uniadapted to engage the intermediate connecting member 13 11st before the pivot point 10 gets beyond the end of the sleeve 12, this member20 being carried by the float chine. The sleeve or barrel 12 pivots upwardly until it is substantially parallel with the bottom of the floating structure, its outer end passing upwardly into a hollowed out part on the inner side of the member '20. The holdingor locking member 20 is provided with a transverse opening 21 adapted to accommodate the end of the axle 6 and the intermediate connecting member 13. This member 20 is also provided with a vertical slot 22 which is just wide enough to accommodate the reduced part 23 of the axle 6 adjacent the pivot point 10' so that during the vertical pivoting movement of the axle 6 and the intermediate connecting parts 12 and 13 thepart 23 of the axle may pass up throu h this vertical slot 22 of the member 20 into t e chamber 21. The intermediate member 13, however, is of larger diameter than the width of the slot 22, and therefore when the member 13 enters the chamber 21 of the member 20, it is rigidly held in the required elevated posithe latter is provided with the cam surfaces 24 on the opposite sides of the slot 22 and facing the end of the member 13 and a corresponding cam surface 25 is formed on the bottom of the outer end of the intermediate connecting member 13, the beveled oft end 25 of the member 13 engaging the cam surfaces 24 of the member 20 to assist in the elevation of the shaft and the entry of the member 13 into the opening 21 of the member 20. I have indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 the approximate position in the elevation of the gear whenthe beveled edge 25 of the member 13 comes'op osite the cam surfaces 24 and just before the axle is about to break at 10'. The outer end of the rotary sleeve or barrel 12 is indicated as having a ring 12' which is screw-threadedly attached thereto and serves to retain a suitable packing therein and as a stop for the outward movement of the member 13 by the shoulder 13' of the latter engagingthe ring.

I have indicated in Figs.- 25 the landing gear structure underneath the floating structure as carried behind a special step construction 27 formed in the bottom of the hydroplaning and displacement floating structure, and in Fig. 3 I have indicated the bottom 28 as gradually curved in the vicinity of the step to the bottom of this step. By means of this arrangement the inner ends of the axle 6 and the mechanism connected therewith are all carried directly behind the step 27, thereby avoiding any substantial disturbance and water resistance in taxying and getting off the water. In Fig. 8 I have indicated the bottom 28 as continuing in its normal direction without curving, forming in eflect a transverse slot or recess on the bottom of the V shapedbottom floating structure to receive the wheeled axle 6 and the mechanism connected therewith. A slightly modified arrangement is shown in Fig. 9 where the landing gear axle and the adjusting mechanism associated therewith are included in a transverse slot or recess 29 formed by downwardly extending transverse bosses or ledges 30 built on as special structures or as part of the float structure, the V bottom 31 being gradually curved in the vicinity of these special structures 30 to gradually merge therein'to. At I have indicated a tail skid embodying a pivoted shoe for use on land,

- I have only described-one wheeled axle and its interconnected mechanisms, but it is understood that there is an identical structure on the opposite side of the float whose wheeled axle is also connected with the trunnion 14, so that upon rotating sprocket 16 both landing wheels and axles are lifted simultaneously. The shock absorbing is effected in the embodiment illustrated by incorporating shock absorbing mechanism inone of the struts 8, as for example the forward strut, and it may be of any standard construction and therefore not necessary to be described in detail. In the particular embodiment shown in-Fig. 2a the struts 8 are welded together at their outer ends so as to form a rigid unit and a standard shock absorbing mechanism is indicated as included in the forward strut 8,

- the axle being connected directly to this mechanism at 7. 1

The operation is readily apparent from the above description. The operator or pilot byactuating the sprocket drive 18 may thereby rotate the sleeves or barrels 12 to either lower or elevate the gears to positions indicated in Fig. 2, it being observed that the landing gear in the operative position for landing purposesis carried directly by the keel structured the boat, thereby removing the strains from the more delicate parts of the float such for example as the, chines. The movement of the gear (on each side) in the elevation thereof first takes place about the pivots 8 and the universal joint 15, but upon the maximum elevation of the sleeve 12, namely at the polnt where the axle breaks at 10', the further elevation takes place about the pivots 8 and the pivot 10. In the lowering of the gear these movements of course take place in the reverse order. Moreover, the landing gear may be readily detached from the floating structure at any time, if desired, so ,as to convert the machine into an ordinary hydroaeroplane.

In Fig. 10 I have indicated diagrammatically a modification of the invention. As in the other modifications this includes a wheeled axle 35 (on each side of the float) and a pair of struts 36, 37 (the latter being shock absorbing struts) arranged in the form of a V and pivotally attached at the apex of the V to the wheeled axle at 38, and at their diverging ends to the floating structure at points 39 and 40 above the chines of the float. The inner end 35 of the axle-'35 is movable laterally towards and away from the keel structure of-the float to cause the lowering and elevation of the landing gear, but in this modification the inner end of an axle 35 is pivotally connected for pivoted movements in the vertical direction with a slide block 41, this slide block 41 being movable back and forth along a race-way 42 indicated diagrammatically on the bottom of the floating strucin the lowered position is attached directlyto the keel structure of the boat. In the elevated position the slide block 41 may be locked to the chine of the boat by means of the lock 45, or it may be held in the elevated position by the cables. The loweringand elevating of the landing gears are effected respectively by the movement of the slide blocks 41 inwardly and outwardly alon their race-ways 42. For moving these slide Iilocks I have shown for convenience a cable system, each slide block 41 having attached thereto two cables, one for lowering the chassis and the other for elevating the chassis, and these site sides and passing over the pulleys 46, 47;

48, 49 and 50, and wound around a Windlass 51 whereby the operator or pilot may byactuating the Windlass either lower the landing gears or elevate them while inthe air. At 42 I have indicated a step behind which the wheeled axle 35 and adjusting parts are disposed. Fig, 10 is merely diagrammatic and the details of construction are omitted for convenience in illustration, this form of the invention being set forthmore fully in my application ser No. 263,069, filed Mar. 20, 1928. a

I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a hydroaeroplane of the single pontoon type, but it is applicable to other types such as twin ontoon craft and flying boats, and

' certain eatures of the invention are appli cable to land planes and aeroplanes generally. While my invention is particularly applicable to V bottom floats or boats, it is understood that certain of its advantages may be obtained with the use of differently shaped floating bodies, as for example flat bottom floats. While the gears are preferably attached to the keel structure, it is understood that they may be attached to some other point or points of the underbody or boat structure. It is also understood that skids or similar additional'landing gear of retractable design may be employed' instead of wheels if desired.

- remote from the chine and also to the craft I claim:

1. In an amphibian hydroplane the combination of a floating and hydroplaning body with a retractable landing gear which is at= tached in the non-retracted position to the underbodystructure of said body at a point at another point remote from the chine.

2. In an amphibian hydroplane the combination of a .floating and hydroplaning body with a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner 'end attached in the non-retracted position to the underbody structure of said body at a point remote from the chine and said strut being also connected to the craft at another point remote from the chine.

3. In an amphibian hydroplane the combination of. a floating and hydroplaning body ,with aretractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached in the non-retracted position to the underbody structure of said body at a point remote from the chine and through an intermediate con-v necting member and said strut being also connected to the craft at another point remote from the chine.

4. In an amphibian hydroplane the combination of a floating and hydroplaning body with a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached in the nonretracted position to the underbody structure of said body at a point remote from the the side of the floating and hydroplaning body at a point above the level of the chine.

6. In an amphibian aeroplane the combination of a floating and hydroplaning body with a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached in the nonretracted position to the underbody structure of said body at a point remote from the chine and by means of an intermediate connecting member and being pivotally connected nearer its outer end by means of a strut with the body at a point above the chine, said, intermediate nation of a floating and hydroplaning body with a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached in the non-retracted posit-ion to the underbody structure of said body at a point remote from the chine and by means of an intermediate connecting member and pivotally connected by two strut members at two spaced pivotal points above the chine of said body, the inner end of the first named strut being movable laterally away from and toward the keel structure to cause the swinging of the landing gear about said pivotal points.

8. An aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 4 wherein the inner end of the strut is pivotally connected with the intermediate connecting member.

9. In an aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the floating and hydroplaning body is provided with a means just forward of the landing gear connections with the underbody structure to minimize water disturbances and resistance.

10. In an aeroplane of the characterset forth in claim 4 wherein the floating and hydroplaning body is provided, with a step just forward of the landing gear connections with the underbody structure. I i

11. In an amphibian aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 7 including means whereby the pilot may actuate said landing gear at will. I I

12. In 'an amphibian aeroplane, a floating and hydroplaning body, a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached to the underbody structure of said body, said strut being distensible and extensible for the purpose set forth.

13. In an amphibian aeroplane, a floating and hydroplaning body, a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached to the underbody structure of said body and its outer end pivotally connected to the side of said body by meansof a strut, said first named strut being extensible v and distensible for causing the swinging of the gear about the of the body.

14. An amphibian of the character set forth in claim 13 wherein the outer end of the first named strut is pivotally connected at two pivotal point on the side spaced longitudinal points on the side of the side of the body by means of a strut for up and down movements, said first named strut including relatively movable screw-threaded members one of which members is attached to the keel structure.

16. An aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 15 including means operable at Willfor rotating one of said screw-threaded members relatively to the other for the purpose of moving the gear in the vertical plane.

17. In an amphibian aeroplane, a floating and hydroplaning body, a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached to the underbody structure of said body and pivotally connected nearer its outer end to the side of the body by means of a strut for movement in a vertical plane, said first named strut including an inner part attached to the keel structure and in the form of a rotary threaded sleeve or tube and an outer part having a similarly screw-threaded intermediate connecting part for adjustment back and forth along said sleeve and said first namedstrut having a pivotal connection with said intermediate part, together with.

, means for rotating the sleeve to effect swinging movement of the gear. l

18. In an aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 17 including a holding device carried at the bottom of the floatin and hydroplaning body for engaging an holding the elongated-sleeve when the pivotal point of the first named strut passes beyond the sleeve.

19. In an aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 17 including a holding device carried at the chine of the floating and hydroplaning body for engaging and holding the elongated sleeve when the pivotal pomt of the first named strut passes beyond the sleeve, said holding device having a slot in the bottom to accommodate the -strut and a cam surface cooperating with a similar SUI? face on the end of the intermediate connecting member for assisting in the elevation of the landing gear. Y

20. An aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 17 wherein a trunnion together with an actuating mechanism isrigidly carried by the keel structure andthe rotary sleeve or tube is connected therewith by a universal joint or connection.

of the first connection, said relatively movable screw threaded members beingoperable to cause the swinging of the retractable landing gear about the pivotal connection with the frame.

22. In an amphibian aeroplane the combination of a flotation and hydiroplanin'g body with a landing gear attached thereto, said landing gear including a strut pivotally connected with the bottom of said body at a point remote from the chine and said strut being pivotally connected by a second strut nearer its outer end with the side of said bodyat a point above the chine and the inner end of the first named strutbeing movable away from and toward its connecting point with the bottom of the body for the purpose of movin the gear in a vertical plane about the side 0 the body.

23. In a hydro-aircraft, the combination of a floating structure having an irregularity or break in the run or bottom contour to house an element of an additional alighting means and an additional and retractable alighting means for effecting landings other than on water with one of its elements ineluded within said break in the retracted position.

24. In an aircraft of the character set forth in claim 23 wherein the additional alighting means is adjustably attached to the underbody structure of the floating means whereby certain operable parts thereof may be housed within said irregularity or break when not in use but lowered therefrom when in use. p i

25. In an amphibian aeroplane the combination of flotation means with a landing gear. for effecting landings other than on water, said landing gear being retractable and including a primary member which ex tends substantially laterally beneath the flotation means and is attached to the keel structure in both the retracted and non-retracted positions.

26. In an aeroplane a main body, a retractable landing gear including a strut having its inner end attached to said body and its outer end pivotally connected to the side of said body by means of a strut pivotally connected thereto at a oint above the level of the inner end connection, said first named strut being extensible and distensible for causing the swinging of the landing gear about the pivotal point on the side of the body.

27.. In an aeroplane a retractable landingv gear including a strut having one end attached to the frame of the craft with its outer end givotally connected by means of I an interme late strut to the craft frame at a point above the level of the first connection, said first named strut being extensible and distensible for causing the swinging of the landing gear about the pivotal point of the frame.

28. In an aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 27 wherein said extensible strut includestelescopically arranged members which are reciprocable within one another.

29. In anaeroplane of the character set forth in claim 27 wherein the first named and extensible strut has a breakable connection providing for the pivotal movement of one part with reference to the other.

30. In an aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 27 wherein the extensible strut is breakable at one point in the extension movement. 1

31. In an aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 27 wherein the extensible strut is breakable at one point in the extension movement, and means are provided for preventing the collapse of the extensible strut 1 when the breakable point is reached.

32. In an aeroplane a main frame, a retractable landing gear including a pair of struts pivotally connected with the frame at points on different levels and converging at their other ends to carry a ground engaging means, said lower of said struts being distensible and extensible for the purpose set forth.

33. In an aeroplane a body frame and a retractable landing gear attached to said frame, said gear including an extensible axle carrying at one end land engaging means and havinglilts other end secured to said frame.

testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MICHAEI J WATIER. 

